The Art of Summer
by IrishSunrise
Summary: When Anna's mother sends her to live with her dad over the summer, Anna thinks she'll be spending all her time doing service work and trying to forget that she likes girls. But when she gets involved with the underground queer/art scene, she meets a girl she won't be able to forget. Elsanna. Modern AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Hans Westerguard 6:24 AM**

_Subject: Hey_

Anna's heart skipped a beat or two and then began running on overtime as she squinted at the brightness of her cell phone.

_Great, this guy actually exists. Ohh-kay. Okay, Anna. You can do this. Just be friendly. Just a normal girl talking to a guy. _

Anna kicked her freckled legs around in an attempt to untangle her feet from the bunched-up sheet at the bottom of her bed. She hadn't realized what a shock to the system it would be, moving from her mom's place in Minneapolis to her dad's in New Mexico for the summer. _Geez, it's hot. My blood's too thick for this._

Finally free of her bed sheets, she swung her legs off the edge of the mattress and grabbed a tank top off the floor. She'd stripped it off before getting into bed last night, unable to bear the feel of it clinging to her damp skin.

Although part of her wanted to ignore the message in her inbox, she knew it would be better just to get it over with. There was no getting around it. She held her breath and tapped the screen of her phone.

_Hey Anna! So, your dad's probably told you about me – name's Hans. I'm heading up a lot of the service projects at church this summer, so we'll be working together. Looking forward to meeting you tomorrow morning at youth group. Let me know if you have any questions. Hope your move went smoothly! God bless._

Anna had done some Facebook creeping on Hans as soon as her mother had told her about him. With his smooth auburn hair and rosy cheeks, Hans looked nice enough. His parents were friendly with Anna's dad – Anna's father had mentioned that he'd gotten to know them at his new church.

Anna chucked the phone onto her bed and flopped back onto the mattress. She tried to blow her bangs off her face, but they were damp and stuck to her forehead.

_Can't believe Mom actually expects me to date this guy. Not happening._

Of course, her mother hadn't said _exactly _that – but Anna knew that she was praying that Anna would get together with him.

_She thinks I can just forget about Rory. Or about girls in general._

Maybe forgetting about Rory wouldn't be such a bad thing. Anna's heart took a dive at the thought of the gorgeous, sandy-haired girl she'd left behind in Minneapolis. Well, technically Rory had left _her _a few weeks before the semester had ended. If Anna was being completely honest with herself, they'd never officially been together. _Regular hookups at parties don't exactly count as a relationship and you know it. _Anna tried to put the girl's face out of her head, but the harder she tried, the more solid Rory's beautiful features became in her mind's eye.

Anna rolled over on the bed so that her arms and head were hanging off the edge. She rummaged around on the floor, finally locating her sketchbook just underneath the bed. She pulled it out and flipped through it quickly. Stuck between two pages in the middle was a picture of her and Rory together at Rory's house on campus. One of Anna's friends had snapped it, but the two of them had been unaware—standing in the kitchen, laughing blissfully, Anna's hands gripping Rory's arms as she made to double over. The picture was a little bit grainy—Anna had downloaded it from Facebook before printing it.

Behind the photograph was a pencil sketch of Rory's laughing face. Anna had erased the eyes so many times they'd turned gray. She just couldn't get them right.

Anna took a deep breath and let it out loudly, rubbing her palms into her eye sockets. She groaned. _Here goes nothing._

* * *

Saving Grace Church was enormous.

Anna eyes widened as she stepped over the threshold into the auditorium. Rows and rows of seats surrounded a raised stage on which stood a pulpit and risers. On either side of the stage, huge projection screens displayed the name and red logo of the church underneath a quote from the book of John.

"Whoa," Anna said, stopping short.

"Big, huh?" her father chuckled. "Let's go find a seat up front."

"I feel like I should be going to a concert or something… not church," Anna said, trudging behind her dad to a seat near the stage.

She settled into her seat, pulling her sketchbook and pen out of her purse. She noticed her father looking at her.

"Uh… for taking notes," she lied, tapping the end of her pen against the cover of the book.

Her father nodded. "Good," he said.

Anna flipped the book open to a blank page and wrote "Saving Grace – Day 1" at the top of the page in lopsided letters. Then she set to work sketching one of the ushers. They were all dressed in khakis and identical red polo shirts with the Saving Grace logo on the lapel. _God, this place is so big they need people to walk them to their seats._

"Hey! Brian!" A voice floated down the row, greeting Anna's father.

"Oh, Hans, you're here! Wonderful! Anna"—her father nudged her—"this is Hans."

Anna looked up from her sketchbook to see the young man standing in the row in front of her, smiling down at her with very white teeth.

_Wow, first name basis with Dad._

"You must be Anna," Hans said, holding out his hand.

"Um, yeah," Anna said, giving him a tentative smile. "Hi." She closed her notebook around her pen and stuck her hand in his. He shook it vigorously.

"Great to meet you. How do you like the church?"

"Um, it's huge. And nice. I mean, I haven't seen the service yet, obviously, but it's nice so far. Everyone seems really friendly?" Anna said.

Hans laughed. "I'm sure you'll fit right in here," he said, looking directly into Anna's eyes. "We're glad you're here."

"Uh, th-thanks," Anna stammered._  
_

At that moment, a group of people in red choir robes filed onto the stage, followed by several people with instruments. One woman, who was holding a microphone, walked to the front of the stage and began the service by inviting everyone to pray with her. Hans sat down in the seat in front of Anna.

After a few moments of prayer, the choir began to sing, accompanied by guitars, drums and keyboard. The song lyrics were displayed on the projection screens, and the entire church sang along. Anna tried to listen—she didn't mind church, really—but soon she was concentrating on the back of Hans's head, carefully drawing in his swooping hair and arms raised in praise.

* * *

"And in _here _is where we meet for youth group," Hans said, opening a door for Anna. They were standing in a large, carpeted room full of tables and chairs. The walls were covered with dry erase boards and inspirational posters. There were about twenty young people milling about, talking loudly.

Hans had given Anna a tour of the entire church, which included a café, a bookstore, a _gymnasium_ and several other meeting rooms. Anna felt overwhelmed.

"Wow. So, is this when we plan service projects, or … ?" Anna asked.

"Youth group is more for socializing, actually. We usually do some Bible study and then just hang out for a while," Hans said. "Sometimes we go out on the weekends."

_Okay, maybe that's not so bad. _"I like socializing," Anna shrugged. _Maybe I'll actually make some friends in this place._

"Do you know many people in the city yet?" Hans asked her.

"Nope. Not a single one. Well, now I know _you_ – so I guess I do know a _single_ one," Anna corrected herself. "But that's it. Allll alone here."

"Hey, what's up, man?" A tall, blond boy approached Hans and clapped him on the back, and then his eyes fell on Anna. "Hey, I'm Kristoff." He held out a large hand, which Anna shook.

"Anna," Anna said, smiling up at him.

"New to the church?" Kristoff asked.

"Yeah. I'm in Albuquerque for the summer. With my dad," Anna explained. "We live a little ways outside of town."

"Nice! I think you'll like it here. How are you taking the heat?" Kristoff grinned.

"It's crazy," Anna said, shaking her head and fanning her face with a hand for emphasis. "I can't believe how hot it is. I'm from Minneapolis. _Pre_tty sure we've still got residual snowflakes up there."

"Bit of a difference, huh?"

"You could say that," Anna giggled.

"Excuse me for a moment," Hans interrupted, touching Anna's shoulder. Anna nodded, and he walked off to greet others. _Social butterfly._

Anna and Kristoff sat together at an empty table in a corner of the room.

"So you know Hans?" Kristoff said, lounging comfortably in his plastic chair, ankle propped on knee.

"Yeah, well, sort of," Anna said. "My dad knows him and his parents, and I'm going to be working at the church this summer, so, you know. We were introduced."

"Working on the service projects?"

"Yup." Anna bobbed her head.

"Sweet! Me, too," Kristoff said. "I do a lot of the construction-type jobs. They can use my muscle, you know." He flexed an arm, grimacing.

Anna laughed. "I'm sure. But yeah, I mean, I miss my friends back home, but I guess if I'm being forced to be here, there could be worse ways to spend a summer."

"Is this like, a divorce agreement or something? Summers with your dad?" Kristoff sounded sympathetic.

Anna hesitated. "Not exactly." She decided to change the subject. "So, what do you do? Are you in school?"

"Yep. I take classes at the community college here."

"What do you study?"

"Ag," Kristoff said. "But this summer I'm taking an art class. My mom wants me to branch out, do something creative. She thinks I have untapped potential. I think she's in denial about my lack of drawing skills."

Anna laughed. "I love drawing. I like all kinds of art, actually. I'm a photography/zoology double major at U of M."

"Photography and zoology . . . now there's a combo you don't hear about every day," Kristoff said, smiling at her. "Well, listen, you and I are gonna get along great, because I'm a total animal lover. I have a dog, Sven – you'll have to meet him. He's insane."

"I'd love to," Anna grinned.

"I know some really cool art students at school," Kristoff said. "I mean, like, two of them, but I have other friends, too. I'm sure they'd love to meet you. You guys could like, draw each other or something? Is that a thing? Anyway, we're actually having a little party Friday night. Wanna go? Kick the summer off right?"

_Uh oh, like on a date?_

"With—with you?" Anna asked.

Kristoff shrugged and gave her a half-smile. "Sure. Why not? We'll kick it Southwest-style."

_Adorkable. Well, you can either stay at home like a giant loser or go meet some cool people. But shit. What if he thinks you're into him? _

"Umm… just—just as friends, right?" Anna asked. "Sorry if that's awkward, I just—"

Kristoff's smile fell a tiny bit, but he shrugged it off and acted cool. "Yeah, no, of course. Just as friends. No pressure. I mean, I just met you. I'd have to be crazy to ask out a girl I just met, right? Pfft."

Anna grinned and swatted his arm. "Okay. I'd love to," she said. _Yes yes yesss. My people!_

"Awesome. Ten o'clock on Friday."

* * *

After youth group ended, Hans politely walked Anna back to her car.

"It was great to meet you, Anna," he said, opening her car door for her.

"Wow, thanks," Anna said awkwardly. "Um, it was nice to meet you, too."

"So listen," Hans said, leaning against Anna's car. "A few of us are gonna grab dinner this Friday. Would you like to come along? Around seven?"

"Oh," Anna said, surprised. "Seven? Umm, yeah, maybe."

"I was thinking maybe we could go to a movie afterward . . . maybe just me and you?"

_God, is this what it's like to be straight? Why can't girls throw themselves at me like this?_

"Oh, wow, um . . . Look, I would, but I already made plans with Kristoff for later that night."

A shadow passed over Hans's eyes. "With Kristoff? What are you doing with him?"

"Oh, just hanging out, you know," Anna said, not really wanting to go into detail. _Next thing I know Hans'll show up at the party. Or he'll tell my dad that I'm partying._

"Well, all right," Hans said, seeming put out. "Just be careful, Anna."

_What are you, my big brother?_

"Um, yeah, I will," Anna said, cocking an eyebrow. "No worries."

Hans took a breath and looked into Anna's eyes as though steeling himself. "Anna, I-I know you're new to Saving Grace," he said with a slightly condescending air. "But your dad told me that you're here to get back in touch with God."

"He did?" Anna squinted against the sun, feeling hot and extremely uncomfortable. _What else did he say?_

Hans nodded and continued. "So, I just want you to know that we're here to, you know, guide you in the right direction. I'm here to help in any way I can."

Anna stared at Hans, trying to discern how much he knew. Did he know about her past? Was he going to spill it to everyone in the church? He continued to look at her sincerely. Finally she decided that there was no deeper implication behind his words – he didn't know about her.

"Um, okay, thanks. Good to know," she said, ducking into the front seat. The inside of her car was sweltering.

"So, will I at least see you at dinner?" Hans leaned down to look at Anna, his hand on the car door.

_Can't he take a hint? _

"I don't know. Probably," Anna said, not wanting to commit either way. If her father knew she'd turned down a chance to hang out with Hans, he'd relay the information back to her mother. Then she'd be in trouble. "Can I let you know later in the week?"

"Okay. Talk to you—"

Hans's voice was cut short as Anna slammed her car door.

* * *

**A/N:** Hi everyone! Irish here. Just want to remind everyone that this _is_ an Elsanna fic. Yay, Elsanna!

I also want to say that I hope I didn't offend anyone with any of the religion stuff. I am a spiritual/Christian person myself, and I understand very well how complex the relationship between sexuality and religious beliefs can be—for everyone involved. So in no way do I ever mean to come across as condemning any religion or spiritual practice as a whole. But the fic won't focus too heavily on the religion stuff, anyway. :)

So, with that said, hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

_I am going to die before the day is out. That's it. That's all there is to it. Jesus lord almighty is it hot out here. _

Anna felt prickly beads of sweat between her shoulder blades, trapped underneath the racerback of her sports bra. She'd donned an old green lacrosse t-shirt and a pair of breathable shorts that morning in preparation for a long day of physical labor.

Their first project of the summer was fixing up a small, unfinished house for one of the families at Saving Grace. This house was located several miles outside of town. It was surrounded by nothing but the dull brown and scrubby green of desert, but at least it had a beautiful view of the mountains.

"All right, listen up everyone!"

A large man with admirable muttonchops was standing in front of the group of volunteers. He was wearing faded, paint-splattered jeans and had a large pair of goggles perched on top of his head.

"My name is Mr. Oaken, and I'm here to make sure none of you gets a finger chopped off. We're going to split up into groups. I need a couple people to sand the floor of the master bedroom, a couple to caulk the bottom edges of the walls, a couple…"

"Let's work together," Anna whispered to Kristoff, who was standing with his arms crossed next to her. He was already decked out in work gloves and goggles of his own.

"Sure thing, Muscles," Kristoff whispered back, shooting Anna a half-grin.

"…and a really strong guy to jackhammer up the old concrete path in front," Mr. Oaken finished.

"There you go—that's perfect for you," Kristoff said to Anna, raising his hand. "I have a volunteer for the jackhammer over—_oof—_" He brought his hand down to protect his stomach as Anna whacked it.

"Are you trying to get me killed?" she hissed.

Kristoff just laughed.

"Anna!"

Anna turned to see Hans making his way toward her. He had two pairs of goggles dangling from one hand and two caulk guns in the other. _Great._

"I thought we could tackle the caulk together," he said, stopping in front of her, and out of the corner of her eye Anna saw Kristoff smirk at Hans's phrasing.

"U-um," Anna stuttered as Hans pressed a caulk gun into her hand.

"I grabbed you some goggles. We're technically supposed to wear them at all times, but I think we should be okay without them for now."

_Thank you God. _Anna carefully tugged the goggles over her head, leaving them to hang around her neck. She pulled her braids out from underneath the clear plastic strap.

"Hey, Muscles, I'm gonna go take a ride on the jackhammer. See you at lunch?" Kristoff said.

Anna nodded and waved regretfully at him. He winked at her as he turned to head toward the front door. "Have fun with the caulk!" he called.

Anna and Hans crouched uncomfortably on the unfinished floor to squirt caulk into the half-inch gap along the bottom of the wall. _Ow. Owww. _Anna shifted, trying to find a position that didn't include tiny bits of sand and splinters biting painfully into her knees. Finally she sat down on her butt, crossed her legs and doubled over to reach the gap.

"So, uh, how long you been working for the church?" she asked Hans after a moment, pushing her bangs out of her eyes.

"Oh, pretty much my whole life," Hans said, grimacing as he squeezed the handle out of the gun. "My dad's one of the ministers, you know. But officially this is my third summer."

"Your dad's a minister? How many are there?"

"Quite a few," Hans said.

"Is your plan to be a minister some day?" Anna asked, arms shaking as she squeezed the thick grayish paste out of the gun.

"Oh, I don't know," Hans sighed. "Maybe. I mean, that'd be nice and all. Get married, have kids, work for the church. You know."

"Huh. Sounds . . . fun?"

"Yeah. I mean, that's like, the ideal life," Hans said, although he didn't sound entirely convinced.

They sat without talking for a moment, absorbed in their work, surrounded by the sounds of banging hammers and the grating whine of sanding equipment. Anna's forearms were burning already._ At least I won't have to worry about working out this summer._

"So tell me, Anna. What's your story?" Hans asked suddenly.

"My story? What do you mean?" _Oh boy. Here we go._

"Well, what brings you to Albuquerque? What do you like to do? What do I need to know about you?"

"Umm, okay. Well, I'm spending the summer with my dad, as you know, and . . . I like art a lot. Art and animals. That's what I study in school. I guess that's about it."

"So you just came here to visit your dad?"

"Pretty much."

"That's cool. Were you active in a church back in—Minnesota, was it?"

"Minneapolis, yeah," Anna said, and then hesitated. _Can't hurt to tell him _this, _right? _"And no, I didn't really go to church. I mean, I used to go every Sunday with my mom. She's _super_ religious. But when I went away to college I sort of . . . stopped attending."

"Why is that, if you don't mind my asking?" Hans asked mildly.

"Oh, just . . ." Anna struggled to come up with something besides the complete truth. "I don't know. I sort of felt like I didn't belong there anymore? Plus none of my friends at college go, so I just . . . didn't," she finished lamely.

Hans nodded, a thoughtful frown on his face.

Rory's face swam into Anna's mind. In her head she could hear Rory's voice as clearly as though the girl were standing right next to her. She imagined her, arms crossed, lips pursed. Her heart clenched painfully at the memory.

"_I want fuck-all to do with any church, Anna-girl. I'm trying to get away from that. But—I guess I'll go with you, if you really want me to."_

Anna blinked, hard, and sighed. _Anna-girl. God, I miss that._

_What a fake._

"Anna?" Hans asked, staring at her.

"Huh?"

"I asked what your friends are like back home."

"Oh, sorry. Well, a lot of them are older than me. I was closest with this one girl, Aurora—Rory, I called her. She'll be a senior next year. I spent a lot of time with her."

_Not anymore._

"Well, I'm sure you'll make a lot of friends here this summer. I'm really glad you're coming to dinner on Friday."

"Yeah," Anna said noncommittally, glancing up at Hans.

Hans paused in his caulking and reached a hand out to Anna's forehead. "You've got some caulk in your hair," he said, making to pinch it between two fingers.

Anna sat back hurriedly. "Thanks—I got it," she said.

* * *

Anna took a cold shower the moment her dad brought her home that afternoon. Her arms felt loose and sore, her fingers swollen from the heat. She had dusty streaks up and down both legs.

She stood under the cold spray, letting it cool her skin, and took stock of her day. _So Hans is definitely, weirdly into me. There's that._

Kristoff had appeared around lunchtime, sweaty and red-faced, inviting Anna and Hans to eat with him. Hans had grudgingly followed after the two of them, but as the three sat eating on the grass, Hans couldn't seem to stop talking. He kept interrupting Kristoff, trying to gain and keep Anna's attention.

After lunch, though, she'd managed to shake Hans off when she and Kristoff teamed up to do some heavy-duty vacuuming in the bedrooms. The two had dragged around the industrial-sized machine, trying to trip each other up with all the cords and tubes, laughing. She noticed Hans looking at her every time she stepped into the hall.

"Anna!" Her dad knocked on the bathroom door, and she jumped, grabbing at the shower curtain.

"_Jesus—_yeah? What is it?"

"Your mother wants me to go over some ground rules with you tonight."

"Okay, can it wait until dinner?" _Or at least until I'm out of the shower? God._

"I'm going outside to fire up the grill. I'll call you when dinner's ready."

_Great. _"Okay, Dad."

* * *

Wrapped in a damp towel, Anna slouched tiredly in her desk chair and woke up her laptop. Her mother hadn't wanted her to bring it, but Anna had thrown an absolute fit. She wasn't exactly proud of her temper tantrum, but there was no way on God's green earth that she was about to go three whole months without the Internet. Wasn't it enough to send her across the country to work without pay for the summer?

_Wasn't it enough to tell me what a disappointment I am? That I'm not the daughter you wanted?_

Anna clicked on the Facebook tab. Rory's profile was already conveniently open.

She clicked on Rory's picture and looked through a few. _This is literally the worst idea in the world. Just close it. Close it now! _She clicked the arrow to the next picture. _God, she is so fucking beautiful. _

_All right, get it together. It's over, Anna. It. Is. Over._

Anna propped her elbows on the desk and heaved a sigh, dropping her face into her palms. The last time she'd hooked up with Rory, six weeks before the semester ended, they'd been at Rory's house, in Rory's bed—it had felt different. Instead of drunken groping in a disgusting frat house bathroom, they'd been lying down, their shirts stripped off…

Heat bloomed low in Anna's belly.

_Don't. _

_Fucking do not. _

The heat settled low, swelling between her legs. She rocked down into her desk chair and groaned.

"Shit," she hissed, biting her lip as Rory's face swam behind her eyes. _This is literally the worst idea. _

She pushed herself up off the chair and took a few steps around her bedroom, feet snagging on the clothes on the floor. Unwinding the towel from around her head, she tossed it into her laundry basket and ran her fingers through her damp hair. It fell cool and heavy against her shoulders. She paused, standing with her head in her hands.

The throbbing heat was insistent.

"_Goddamit_."

_This is the _last_ time. You're here to _forget _about her. _

She fell onto her bed and slipped her hand between her legs.

* * *

Between bites of grilled salmon, Anna's dad laid down the law.

"No one alone in the bedroom with you—boys _or _girls. No staying out past eleven—"

"_Eleven?_ Dad, I'm not in high school anymore."

"But you are under my roof and you'll live by my rules while you're here."

Anna pushed her mashed potatoes into a small hill with her fork and then flattened them, refusing to meet her father's eyes. "These are technically Mom's rules."

"Well, technically—but I agreed to them. Your mom and I—Anna, we just—we want our daughter back. The one we used to know."

"What do you mean?" Anna dropped her fork on her plate. "I'm right here. I haven't _changed_. And how would you know anyway? You've barely seen me in the last three years_."_

Her father chose to ignore her last statement. He spoke carefully. "The Anna we used to know made better choices."

"What, you mean the old Anna didn't sleep with girls?" Anna blurted, and then felt her cheeks grow warm. _Technically you only _wish_ you'd slept with a girl. _

She expected her father to yell, but instead he just set his fork down and stared at her. He looked so disappointed and sad, Anna almost felt guilty. She held his gaze, knowing that to look away would be to admit that she felt bad about liking girls. And she didn't.

"Anna," her father said quietly, "we just don't want to see you throw away your relationship with God. It's the most important relationship you have."

"Why does being gay have to mean I've turned my back on God or whatever? I'm going to church, I'm doing the service stuff—I don't even _mind _the service stuff—so why do you and Mom act like I've turned into this horrible person all of a sudden? Mom acts like the world is fucking ending."

Her father looked drained. "I just want you to think about whether your desires are more important than God's will, that's all. And think about your mother. She's been very upset about this whole thing, and you know how she is—she can't handle it well. I'm afraid that she's falling into another serious bout of depression. The last thing I want is for you to be alone in Minneapolis without a healthy, functioning parent figure."

"You could always move home," Anna mumbled.

"Anna."

Anna heaved a sigh. "I know, I know. I _am _thinking about Mom. I mean, that's why I'm doing this whole thing. To save whatever semblance of a family I have left." _When did I become the fucking parent in this family?_

Before her father could begin to feel bad, Anna took a breath and said, "So, changing subjects… Hans asked me to go to dinner with him and some friends on Friday, and then Kristoff wants to hang out afterward so I can meet some of _his_ friends. Is that all right?"

"Who's Kristoff?"

"This guy from youth group. He volunteers at the church, too."

"That's fine. As long as you're back by eleven."

_Thank you thank you thank you._

* * *

**A/N:** Wow, thanks for the follows, everyone! And a hug to those of you who've left comments – I love hearing your thoughts; it keeps me inspired.

In case anyone is wondering, I haven't abandoned my other fic (A Flame in the Night)!

Next chapter, Elsa enters the story. I know you've all been waiting for it.


	3. Chapter 3

The late-afternoon sun lay in thick, yellow stripes across Anna's bare back. She looked up from her sketchbook and blew at the glowing dust particles floating in the sunlight in front of her. She was lying on her stomach in bed, with only a damp towel piled on top of her head. Haphazardly wrapped, it was overbalanced and resting coolly on her forehead.

"Too…fucking…hot…" she groaned aloud, pushing the towel off her eyebrows. She selected a maroon pencil from the box at her elbow and began to shade in a part of her drawing. She had sketched one of the choir members at Saving Grace at the service on Wednesday.

Anna liked the choir. The music was her favorite part of church, even if the lyrics did tend to be a little too repetitive and simplistic for her liking. The guitars and drums were able to reach her in a way the sermon didn't. Music was open for interpretation in a way that "you're going to hell" was not.

Her phone pinged. It was Kristoff.

"Gettin excited for tonight?" he'd texted.

Anna tapped out a reply. "Ugh, yes, just please god get me through this dinner first. Don't forget to pick me up at the Mexican place on Alamo 8:00 and DON'T BE LATE."

"I'll be there. Maybe even 5 min early."

"My hero," Anna tapped out and grinned at her phone. _Thank God I have at least one real friend here._

"So who all's goin?" Kristoff texted.

"Hans, Juan and Amber," she replied. Juan and Amber were both fellow church volunteers. She'd been introduced to them—along with what felt like a thousand other people—at some point during the week, but beyond their names, she didn't know anything about them.

"Double date. Nice. Hope Hans is a good kisser."

_Gross. He wishes. _"Shut up."

Anna tossed the phone onto her pillow and sat up, rolling her cramped shoulders—she was still a little sore from all the physical labor she was doing. She walked over to the cheap, full-length mirror propped against her bedroom wall, her head wobbling a bit as the towel on her head swayed. She yanked it off, ran her fingers through her damp hair and stood looking at her body in the mirror.

She traced a fingertip over the tan line on her chest, the big U of her tank top's neckline. _More like burn line. _It was tender, but not painful.

She trailed her fingers further down, over her breasts and the gentle bumps of her ribs. _There is something _inside of me_ that makes me like girls. _

She had yelled this at her mother the night before she left for New Mexico. "In here_,_" she'd said angrily, pointing at her head. Then she placed her hand tightly over her heart. "In _here_. There is something physically _in _me that _can't be changed_, Mom."

Her mother had shaken her head vehemently. "You dated boys before. In high school. Why can't you date boys again?"

Anna had dropped her hands to her sides, feeling defeated. "I only dated boys because I thought that was what I was _supposed _to do. I didn't—I wasn't actually _attracted_ to them."

Her mother had curled her lips in and looked up as though trying not to cry. "And… and you _are _attracted to girls?" she'd said shakily.

"Yes, Mom." Anna had said, her voice softening.

Her mother had taken a deep breath and looked her in the eye. "But two girls cannot have a relationship, Anna," she'd said wearily. "It's just not possible. It's not right."

_Maybe it's not possible. _Anna scowled at her reflection in the tilted mirror, thinking of Rory. She tried to push the thought from her head. She hadn't talked to her mother since she'd left Minneapolis nearly a week ago.

She crossed her arms over her stomach and dug her fingernails painfully into her sides, pressing in harder, deeper, feeling her temper slip away. When she took them away, angry red half-moons peeked out among her ribs.

* * *

Underneath the table, Anna tapped out a text to Kristoff: "Dude this IS like a double date."

She was sitting in a cozy, brightly colored New Mexican restaurant in downtown Albuquerque, crammed into a small booth with Hans and two of his friends. She sent the text message off to Kristoff, stuck her cell phone between her thighs, and took a sip of ice water. Her mouth was on fire. _This damn chili sauce is way hotter than it looks._

"How do you like it?" Hans asked, swallowing a mouthful of food and nodding at Anna's plate. He was sitting across the table from her, wolfing down a burrito slathered in red and green sauce like nobody's business.

"It's good," Anna said, "but_ hot_. Don't they know what 'mild' means down here?" She fanned her mouth with a hand. _Jesus Lord almighty. My lips are burning off._

Hans and his friends chuckled.

"Don't worry. You get used to it," Amber said, smiling at Anna. Amber was a tall girl with short, dark hair. "I grew up in South Dakota—things were definitely milder up there."

"The trick," Juan said, looking up from his plate, "is desensitization. Just drink eight ounces of straight hot sauce every morning, and you'll be used to it in no time."

Anna snorted and rolled her eyes. Juan was Amber's boyfriend, and Anna had taken a liking to him right away. He was even taller than Amber and a total joker. He reminded her a little bit of Kristoff.

"Oh, yeah? Was that was you did?" she asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. Yes, it was, and it worked like a charm," Juan said seriously. "I can inhale ghost chilis like nobody's business."

"Liar," Amber giggled.

Anna felt her phone vibrate and pulled it out from between her legs.

Kristoff had replied. "Hahaa you never told me you and hans were going steady!"

Anna smirked, tapped, "stfu," and sent off the text. "So uh, how long have you two been together?" she asked Juan and Amber, taking another spicy bite of enchilada.

"Oh, gosh, it's been, what, three and a half years now?" Juan asked Amber.

"Yep," Amber said, smiling at him before turning to Anna. "We're getting married next year."

"Wha—married?" Anna asked through her mouthful of food. "Really? Wow. I-I mean, it's just… you're so young."

Amber shrugged. "We'll be twenty-two by that time."

_Right. Like I said—young. _"Well, good for you guys! God," Anna laughed, bringing her glass of water to her lips, "that makes me feel so single right now."

"Well, you won't be single forever," Amber said, cocking an eyebrow and smiling in Hans's direction.

Anna nearly choked on her water. _Oh god, eww, did Hans tell her that I was into him or something? _

Hans cleared his throat loudly and, without meeting Anna's eyes, stammered, "So, uh, Anna's hanging out with Kristoff tonight. Right, Anna? What are you guys doing?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, I'm gonna meet some of his friends from school."

"Oh, cool!" Juan said. "Kristoff's a nice guy. I've known him a few years. He's pretty solid."

"Well," Amber said, smirking, "except for the fact that he's—"

"_Amber,_" Hans cut her off, shaking his head sternly.

"What?" Amber asked innocently. She propped an elbow on the tabletop and pointed her fork at Anna. "Anna, we have it on good authority that Kristoff's—"

"This is not appropriate!" Hans said. "Anna doesn't need to know that!"

_The fuck? _"Know what?" Anna asked, her curiosity piqued. "I wanna know."

Hans sighed, looking extremely reluctant, and glared at Amber. "Anna, a few months ago, there was a—a _rumor_ going around that Kristoff was—well, that he _played for both teams,_" Hans said, his voice dropping to a whisper at the end.

Anna was taken aback. _Seriously? _"What, that he's bi?"

"Yeah, but it's not true," Hans said fervently.

Anna shrugged. "Um, okaaay… I mean, what would it matter if he was, anyway?"

All three of Anna's tablemates looked slightly uncomfortable. Hans scratched his head and shifted in his chair. Juan pushed cold black beans around his plate with his fork. Silence. Then—

"Well, we—m-my parents wouldn't let me be friends with someone like that," Amber said nervously.

"Your parents?" Anna asked, cocking an eyebrow. _Or yourself?_

Amber sighed. "It's just _wrong_," she blurted. "I mean, don't you think, Anna?"

"Amber—" Juan began.

"It _is, _Juan! You know it is," Amber said defensively, dropping her fork on her plate and crossing her arms over her chest. She looked to Hans for support. "Don't _you _think, Hans?" she asked. "Come on, I know you agree with me."

Anna turned to look at Hans, too. His cheeks were burning with redness. He was staring resolutely down at his plate, half-heartedly flipping soggy pieces of burrito around with his fork. His hand was trembling.

"Yeah," he mumbled.

"What?" Amber asked.

"I-I said 'yeah,'" Hans said more loudly, looking up. He cleared his throat. "It's wrong, okay? Of course it's wrong. It's disgusting."

Amber looked satisfied. She nodded and took another bite of food. "You know, I feel sorry for people like that. I feel sorry that they're never gonna know what heaven's like."

* * *

"Hey, baby. How much?" Kristoff shouted out the window as he rolled up alongside the curb outside the restaurant in a beat-up, rust-orange pick-up truck.

Anna walked toward the truck. "Shut up. I only take high-end clients, which rules you out." She pretended to karate kick the passenger-side door.

Kristoff laughed. "Get in, Muscles."

Anna pulled open the door. It squeaked and groaned. "Yikes. Real beauty you got here."

"Yep," Kristoff reached out his open window and patted the door, smiling happily. It made a hollow, metallic thump. "My first love."

Anna snorted, pulling on her seatbelt. "Thanks for picking me up."

"Hey, no prob," Kristoff said, pulling out into the street. "So how was dinner?"

Anna groaned.

"Oh yeah? That bad? Hans a bad kisser or something?"

Anna slugged him on the shoulder. "Would you stop? No, they just—well, I know you're friends with Hans and all, but I think he's sort of… weird? Like, he doesn't ever really loosen up, you know?"

"I think maybe he just… has a lot on his mind a lot of the time," Kristoff said carefully.

Anna shrugged. "I guess," she said doubtfully. "I don't know. Plus he and Amber just have some opinions I don't agree with." She slumped down in the seat and stuck her feet on the dash.

"Ah. Mind if I ask what kind? I mean, which opinions, exactly? I know they kind of have a lot."

"Oh, just…" Anna rubbed her palms into her eyes.

She didn't want to bring up the rumor about Kristoff. What if it was a sensitive subject? Or worse—what if Kristoff didn't like gay people? She couldn't lose her only real friend in Albuquerque.

"You know, I don't always agree with everything the church says," Kristoff offered. "I mean, yeah, I'm pretty involved there, but there's a lot I don't agree with, too."

"That's how I feel," Anna said. "There are some pretty big things that I don't agree, either. Apparently Hans and his friends believe a lot of things I don't."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"Oh… just stuff. But let's not talk about them anymore. They're harshing my party mood. So where are you taking me?"

"My buddy Jon's house. He lives near the university campus. That's where the party's at."

"I thought you went to the community college?"

"I do, but John goes to UNM," Kristoff explained.

"Ah."

"Trust me, the parties there are _way _better. But you're not gonna get too crazy tonight, are you?"

"What do you mean?" Anna asked indignantly. "I know how to conduct myself appropriately at a party, thank you very much. I've been to enough of them. I'm ridiculously popular back home, you know."

Kristoff glanced at her, grinning. "I'm sure you are. Just making sure I won't have to carry your drunk ass home tonight."

_Dad would murder me if I came home drunk. Actually, no—he'd call Mom, and then _she_ would fly down and murder me._

Kristoff nudged her with his elbow, half a smile creeping up his face. "You know I'm just kidding, right, Muscles? I know you can handle yourself. Probably better than I can, to be honest. You wouldn't know it by looking at me, but I'm _kiiiind_ of a lightweight."

Anna snorted.

* * *

Well, it wasn't a frat party, but it was smelly and crowded. There were about fifty students milling about the living room, kitchen and upper story of the house that Jon shared with his two roommates.

"Kristoff, my man!" Jon pulled Kristoff into an embrace and pounded him on the back. He was tall and muscular, like Kristoff, but in place of Kristoff's blond mop, he had a head of flaming red hair.

"And who's your friend?" he asked, smiling widely as he noticed Anna.

"I'm Anna. I work with Kristoff, sort of," Anna said.

"Well, what do you say we get you a drink, Anna?" Jon turned and headed into the kitchen. He filled a Solo cup with cheap beer from a keg and stuck it in her hand. Anna took an enormous gulp, wanting to forget about dinner and her mother and Rory and being stuck in New Mexico.

Jon kept Anna all to himself for quite a while, asking her all kinds of questions about her life in Minneapolis. Anna could tell he was attracted to her. She smiled and chatted politely until she finished her drink.

Finally, after refilling her cup, she managed to sidle away, in search of Kristoff.

_Nobody here knows that I only want girls._ _Nobody knows that I almost fucked one last year._

It gave her a little bit of a thrill, knowing that many of the guys' eyes were on her, while hers kept seeking out the girls in the room—most of whom were older, and none of whom particularly caught her eye.

She managed to move about the house with Kristoff, chatting with various people, never sticking too long with one person or group.

By the time she was halfway through her fourth beer (Kristoff kept refilling her cup for her), most of the lights in the house were off and the music was turned up so loud that Anna could feel it pulsing in her chest. She felt tipsier than she'd meant to be.

"Obviously you weren't kidding about being popular. I'm pretty sure every guy here wants you," Kristoff shouted over the music as Anna waved away a guy attempting to lure her onto the dance floor.

"Lucky me," Anna said sarcastically.

"Uh, yeah!" Kristoff replied.

"I don't like it," Anna said. "There's a difference between people liking you and people wanting to get in your pants. I'm not interested in the latter." She realized vaguely that she should probably shut up.

"Gotcha," Kristoff said.

"I didn't mean you." Anna leaned forward to shout into Kristoff's ear over the music. "I mean—I don't think you're just trying to get into my pants."

"No, sure, I know," Kristoff said.

"Sorry." Anna sighed.

"For what?"

She lifted and dropping her shoulders dramatically. "I don't know."

"You okay?" Kristoff asked.

Anna looked up. "Hey, Kristoff, you're my best friend here in Albuquerque," she said. "I feel like I've known you forever even though it's only been like, a week. I don't want things to be weird between us." She gestured between the two of them with the hand not holding the Solo cup. She always moved her hands more than usual when drunk, trying to make up for her slowed thoughts.

"Who said they were weird?"

"No one, I don't know, I just…" Anna struggled through the fog of alcohol, trying to decide what she wanted to say, feeling more drunk by the minute. She took a breath and smiled at Kristoff. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom."

"Oh, okay. I'll just be waiting here, all by myself!" Kristoff shouted at Anna as she dizzily wound her way through the bodies in the living room.

* * *

In the bathroom down the hallway Anna walked in on two girls, one of whom was sobbing on the toilet, her mascara smeared across her face. The other girl was wetting a wad of toilet paper under the faucet, probably for the crying girl's face.

_Oh, nice. _Anna gripped the doorknob with one hand and gave an awkward wave with the other. "Sorry," she squeaked, closing the door on the girls.

_Upstairs it is, then._

_Whoa._

She stumbled sideways on the steps, her shoulder hitting the wall. _Maybe too much beer? _She looked at the half-empty cup in her hand. _Nah, not too much beer. What the hell. _She took another gulp.

At the top of the stairs, she found herself in a dim, narrow hallway. She pushed her way through the first door on the left, hoping it was the bathroom. Instead she found herself in a large bedroom. The music was much quieter up here. There was a twin bed shoved in one corner, and inside a large cage to her right, an adorable chinchilla slept in a tiny hammock.

In front of her, a group of older students was clustered in front of the wide-open window, sitting on a couch and several chairs, passing around a joint. The light from a couple of lamps cut through the hazy air like sun through an early morning fog.

Anna gave a tiny gasp when she saw the chinchilla. Ignoring the group of smokers, she turned adoring eyes on the silky-looking animal. Wanting to stroke his fur, she attempted to stick a finger gently between the cage bars, but the hammock was out of reach, so she settled for talking to it instead.

"You're so cute. Look at your big ears," she cooed.

The chinchilla cracked one eye, looking annoyed.

"How do you sleep through all this racket, huh?" Anna asked it softly. "Bet you wish people like me would just leave you alone. I wish that, too, sometimes."

She suddenly realized the chatter in the room had ceased. She straightened up and looked over at the group in front of the window.

"Who're you?"

The question came from a young man with straggly, shoulder-length blond hair and a disheveled handlebar mustache, who was looking at Anna upside-down, his head drooping over the back of the couch.

Anna felt her face flush as everyone else turned to look at her.

"Oh, I-I was just looking for the bathroom," she said with a breathy laugh. "Sorry."

"You messin' with Suzie Q?" the guy said, still looking at her upside down. His eyes darted toward the chinchilla.

"Oh, you mean—?" Anna gestured toward the animal. "No, I was just…"

"He doesn't like redheads," the boy said.

"Oh. What—come on, seriously? Wait, Suzie Q is a 'he'?" Anna asked, confused.

"She sees no reason to be confined to the prison of assigned gender," the boy drawled pretentiously.

Anna felt her face grow even redder as she swayed a little bit, simultaneously annoyed and self-conscious. She put a hand on the chinchilla cage for support, feeling glad that the room was so dim.

"Stop trying to imprison his chinchilla!" someone else cried, and a couple people snorted with laughter.

Anna backed toward the door. "Yeaahh. Okay, I'm gonna—" She started to turn.

"Wait."

Anna blinked and looked around. From the floor beneath the window, a girl emerged from the shadows, pulling on a joint. She handed it to a girl sprawled in the armchair next to her and blew the smoke out slowly as she stood up. "I'll show you to the bathroom," she said to Anna. "I need a drink anyway."

A few hoots followed the girl as she stepped carefully through the hazy room toward Anna.

_Holy—fucking—shit._

Anna watched the girl as she approached. Her skin was so pale, and her hair so blond, that she seemed to glow in the smoky darkness. She wore a dark t-shirt that had been cut into a drooping tank, and speckled-gray skinny jeans. More than half of her right arm was covered with tattoos. She was gorgeous.

She smiled. "Hey," she said softly, stepping around Anna.

Anna turned slowly, her eyes glued to the girl's. "Hi," she breathed.

"You coming?" The girl paused in the hallway, tilting her head.

"Oh—yeah." Anna nodded quickly and followed after her, trying to keep her steps steady.

The girl moved gracefully down the dark hallway and pushed a door open at the other end. "Here you go," she said, reaching an arm into the room to flip on the light. Brightness flooded into the hallway and illuminated the girl's face. "You okay?"

Anna nodded, noticing her pink lips and the icy color of her eyes for the first time. She stepped into the bathroom and stood in front of the girl.

_She is so fucking gorgeous. Okay, be cool. Say something not dumb._

"Thanks," she said. "You're a lifesaver."

"Sure. Sorry about those assholes in there," the girl said, jerking a thumb back towards the bedroom. Her voice was calm, and surprisingly quiet. "They're not really assholes. They're pretty cool once you get to know them."

"Oh," Anna said, exhaling. "No, they're not. I mean, they weren't. Assholes. I-I'm Anna, by the way." She stuck her hand out.

"Elsa." The girl quirked her lips up in a smile and placed her hand in Anna's, holding it—and her gaze—gently.

_Elsa._

Anna just stood there in the doorway, smiling like an idiot, until Elsa said, "Well, I'm gonna go downstairs for a drink. You sure you're okay?"

"Oh—yeah. I'm fine. Thanks," Anna said. She dropped Elsa's hand and ran her fingers nervously through her hair, but didn't retreat into the bathroom.

Elsa looked at her for a moment. "Actually... I think I'm gonna step out back for a breather," she said. "You wanna join me when you're done in here?"

Anna grinned and nodded. "Yeah, I'd love to join you! I'll, uh—just be a minute."

"Okay. See you in a minute then, Anna." Elsa gave a little wave as she headed back toward the stairs.

Anna closed the bathroom door and leaned against it for a moment, biting her lip through a grin. "_Hoh_-kay, okay," she breathed.

_This is a terrible idea. _

_Oh my god, she's so hot. And she wants to talk to me. Oh, this is not good._

_Oh, god._

* * *

**A/N: **If you feel up to it, please leave a comment and tell me what you think! I'm sorry it took me quite a while to update; I'm just trying to do a good job with each chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

Outside, the night was beautiful—warm, but with a gentle breeze that felt heavenly after being inside the crowded house. Anna gathered her hair in her hands and draped it over one shoulder; she ran her fingers through it nervously, letting the breeze cool the back of her neck.

She had managed to make it downstairs and to the back door without bumping into Kristoff. She liked Kristoff a lot, but she didn't really want him around while she was trying to flirt with a girl, for obvious reasons.

She would probably come out to Kristoff sooner or later, but that could wait.

That could definitely wait.

The back yard was medium-sized and sparse, with a few mismatched pieces of paint-flecked patio furniture grouped near a grimy table and a game of bags set up in the middle of the yard. A few people were milling about, talking, but Elsa was standing by herself a few feet from the door, one arm crossed casually over her middle. She was sipping something from a plastic cup and frowning into space.

Anna walked over. "Hey," she said, grinning at Elsa.

Elsa's eyes moved quickly over Anna as she approached. "Hi," she said. "You made it." Her lips quirked up in a half-smile, and she took a sip of her drink, her blue eyes twinkling over the edge of her cup.

Anna felt her heartbeat pick up."It feels so good out here," she said.

"Mmm." Elsa nodded. "And the stars are out." She tilted her head back to look up at the sky, her messy blond ponytail streaming down her back. "I love stars."

"Yeah," Anna said, without taking her eyes off Elsa. "You can see them so much more clearly here than in Minneapolis. Like little holes in the sky."

Elsa glanced over. "If the stars are holes in the sky, are we trapped under a curtain of black?"

"Mmm, I wouldn't say 'trapped,'" Anna said thoughtfully. "Maybe 'tucked in.' Like under a blanket."

"I like that better," Elsa said, smiling. "So, you're from Minneapolis?"

"Yeah, I'm just here for the summer. Staying with my dad." Anna shrugged. "Divorced parents… you know how it goes."

"Mm. I've never been to Minneapolis," Elsa said, looking up again and closing her eyes. "Never been out of the Southwest, actually."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Well, you're missing out. Minneapolis is a cool city. But it gets real cold up there. The winters might be a shock to your delicate Southwest system."

Elsa cocked an eyebrow. "I think I could handle it. I like the cold," she mused. "And I wouldn't say my system's 'delicate,'" she teased.

The two girls looked over as the screen door burst open and a group of guys came stumbling onto the patio, laughing and talking loudly. One of them spotted Anna and Elsa standing nearby; he nudged one of his buddies and gestured towards them. They began to make their way over.

_God, can't we get a minute alone?_

"Elsa," Anna said suddenly. "Do you wanna go for a walk?" She curled her fingers around Elsa's upper arm. Her soft skin was cool under Anna's fingers, and a little thrill ran through her at the contact.

She didn't want to share Elsa. Not before she'd had a chance to talk to her. And especially not with a bunch of douchey frat guys.

"Good idea," Elsa nodded, her eyes going from Anna's hand on her arm to the approaching dudes.

"Come on," Anna said, beginning to walk toward the gate in the fence around the yard. The alcohol had given her a what-the-hell feeling, so she threw her hand out behind her, fingers spread wide, inviting Elsa to grab on.

To her surprise, Elsa did. She slipped her hand into Anna's and held on tight, tipping the rest of her drink into her mouth as they walked along. Anna felt a warm, glowing feeling in her stomach at the feel of Elsa's cool hand clasped in hers.

"Wait," Elsa said. "My cup." They paused and looked around, and Elsa set her empty cup on the windowsill to their right. "I'll get it later. Maybe."

"Good thinking," Anna said. She stacked her cup inside Elsa's. There was still an inch of warm beer swishing around in the bottom. "Okay, let's go," she said, grinning excitedly at Elsa as she pulled open the gate, Elsa's hand still held tightly in hers.

* * *

As they walked down the sidewalk, hand in hand, they passed many brightly lit frat houses brimming with bodies and music. Girls tottered down the middle of the campus streets in high heels and skimpy dresses, laughing and talking loudly.

"I have no idea where I'm going," Anna confessed. "I've literally only been in Albuquerque for a week."

"Don't worry," Elsa assured her. "I'll guide you."

"Thanks." Anna grinned up at her. "I take it you go to school here?"

Her heart was pounding. She felt herself gripping Elsa's cool hand tighter and tighter, wishing she could touch more of her. _ I can't believe I'm holding her hand. I can't believe she actually wants to hold my hand._

"I don't, actually. I just know people," Elsa said evasively.

"Oh," Anna said, surprised.

"What about you? What are you doing here?" Elsa asked. "At that party, I mean? Obviously you don't know Jesse…"

"Is that the chinchilla dude?" Anna asked.

Elsa grinned. "Yeah. That was his room we were in."

"Does that chinchilla really not like redheads?" Anna blurted.

Elsa laughed loudly, which delighted Anna. She felt her heart skip a beat at the sound. She wanted to make her laugh again.

"You're adorable," Elsa said. "No, he only said that because it bit Jon a couple days ago. Jon is—"

"I know Jon!" Anna interrupted. "I mean, well, he's my friend Kristoff's friend, so I don't really _know _him, but I met him tonight."

"Ah. I don't think I know Kristoff."

"He's a big tall guy with kinda longish blond hair? Not nearly as long as that guy Jesse's, though. Pretty muscley. But not like, gross-muscley."

"Muscley but not gross-muscley… I'll keep an eye out for him," Elsa said, amused. "So how do you know him if you've only been here a week?"

"I met him at my dad's… church," Anna said hesitantly. She was afraid that Elsa would think she was uncool or weirdly religious or something, but Elsa just nodded.

"Ah."

"My parents are making me do service work at the church all summer," Anna said, by way of explanation. "Building stuff and shit. Construction work. Cleaning."

"Fun, _fun_," Elsa said sarcastically. "Why are they making you? Is it punishment or something?"

"Essentially. My mom found out that I, uh, I like girls," Anna said, peeking up at Elsa to gauge her reaction. "She wasn't very happy."

Elsa stiffened a little and slowed.

Anna immediately panicked. _Oh no. Oh god. She's weirded out! _She felt her heart go crashing into her stomach.

But then Elsa came to a stop and turned toward Anna. "I'm sorry," she said. "I… I know how that feels."

Anna's heart jumped in relief and excitement—_!—_and then plummeted in sympathy. She opened her mouth, couldn't think of anything to say, and then closed it again.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, squeezing Elsa's hand. "It sucks. I-I've been feeling really alone here." She swallowed a sudden lump in her throat.

"Well," Elsa smiled, touching the end of a strand of Anna's hair. "Now you're not alone anymore."

Anna's stomach swooped at the feel of Elsa's fingertips so close to her chest. She smiled shyly up at Elsa, and then they started walking again, so close now that their shoulders rubbed against one another's. Anna threaded her fingers through Elsa's. She felt intoxicated in more ways than one.

"Is there a pretty good gay scene here?" Anna asked.

"If you know where to go," Elsa said.

Anna grinned and bit her bottom lip. She felt as though she was going to burst with sudden happiness.

"I'm pretty sure my parents are hoping I'll find a boyfriend while I'm down here," Anna said.

Elsa snorted. "Good luck with that. Make sure you use protection."

"Oh, _thanks_." Anna shoved Elsa gently with her shoulder, and Elsa laughed.

"In all seriousness, though," Elsa said. "If you were into it, you could probably find a guy to date you in like two seconds flat."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Well… yeah. I mean, look at you."

"What do you mean?"

Elsa looked at Anna like, _really_? "Um, you're hot," she laughed.

Anna's face flushed, and she felt heat throbbing between her legs. She swallowed hard. "So… so tell me something about you," she said, her voice trembling.

Elsa looked down at her, a smile playing on her lips, and Anna smiled shyly. She wanted to kiss her so, so badly.

"Okay… well, I guess you could say I'm an artist of sorts," Elsa said.

"What? No way! Me, too!" Anna said excitedly, grabbing Elsa's arm. "What's your medium?"

All of a sudden her back pocket started to vibrate, and she jumped and pulled her phone out. "Shit, it's Kristoff. Sorry. One second. Hello?"

"_Anna, where the hell are you? It's after eleven! Don't you have to be home?"_

"Oh, _shit_! Fuck, fuck, fuck! I'll be right there!" Anna stuffed the phone into her pocket and started half-running backwards in the direction they came, tugging on Elsa's hand.

"I have to go, I'm so sorry! My dad's going to kill me; I was supposed to be home at eleven!"

"Shit," Elsa said, hurrying along beside Anna. "Are you gonna be in trouble?"

Anna groaned. "Yes! Fuck! He'll never let me out again."

There went her summer. There went her time with Elsa. She felt like crying. She wanted to sit down in the middle of the sidewalk and just sob. Or kick a big rock or something. _This whole thing is so fucking unfair._

"It'll be okay," Elsa said.

_No, it fucking won't!_

"I will literally die if I can't leave the house," Anna panted as they ran, hearing the tears in her voice. "I can't take a whole summer living in my room and that church." She continued to pull Elsa along, but Elsa was lagging behind, one hand held against her back. She winced.

"Anna," Elsa said, "stop a second. Stop." She tugged on Anna's hand, slowing her down.

"What?" Anna sniffled. "Are you okay?"

"Just let me see your phone."

Anna handed over her phone, and Elsa punched in some numbers.

"Now you have my number. Text me, okay? We'll figure something out." One corner of her lips quirked up. "I won't let you suffocate."

* * *

"Dad? Dad, I'm home!" Anna called as she stumbled through the front door. "I'm _so_ sorry, I lost track of time!"

Her dad emerged from the kitchen, a glass of ice water in his hand. "I told you eleven o'clock, Anna," he said. "Am I going to have to call your mother?"

"It's only eleven-thirty! Please don't tell Mom," Anna pleaded. "I'm sorry, I won't be late again! I just lost track of time. I was having fun with Kristoff, being social… Isn't that what you and Mom wanted?"

"Where were you?"

"I told you—at Kristoff's friend's house. His name is Jon. We were just hanging out."

"Were you drinking?"

"No," Anna lied. She hated lying to her dad. But… _It's not like he hasn't lied to me and Mom before. _"Please, Dad. It won't happen again; I promise." She looked hopefully at him.

He stood there for a moment, looking sternly at her. "Fine. But no going out this week. You go to church and you come straight home for the night. You hear me?"

Anna groaned. "Fine," she mumbled, pulling her shoes off.

"Did you have a nice dinner with Hans?"

"No. He's a homophobic asshole," Anna said, and then clamped her mouth shut, closing her eyes in regret. _Shut up! You wanna get two weeks instead of one?_

Her father sighed. "Anna, please. Just because someone follows their religious convictions—"

"Dad," Anna said. "Having a religion is not the same thing as—as being hateful!"

"How did that—_topic_—even come up at dinner?"

"_I _didn't bring it up, if that's what you're thinking," Anna said. "Being awful just comes naturally to these people, apparently. Anyway, I'm going to bed."

She marched up the steps, not wanting to get in any more trouble, but her father didn't attempt to reply, anyway.

* * *

Lying in her bed twenty minutes later, she squinted at her cell phone screen, scrolling through her contacts. There she was. _Elsa. _

She opened up a new text message window, suddenly nervous. _What do I say? Does she really want me to text her?_

After typing and backspacing a dozen messages, she settled on, "Hey, Elsa. It's Anna. So, you never answered my question. What's your medium?"

She slid the phone under her pillow and rolled over, kicking off her sheets to feel the breeze from her window against her bare legs. She told herself not to expect a reply.

Just as she was drifting off to sleep, the vibration of her phone jolted her back to consciousness. She fished around under her pillow and pulled it out, fumbling it around in her hands. Elsa had replied.

"Hey Anna. I take it your dad didn't murder you? To answer your question: street art. Ever done it?"

Anna was wide awake now. She pushed her pillow up against the wall behind her and sat up, staring at her phone.

"Nah, he's kind of a push-over," she texted back. "But I'm grounded this week. What kind of street art? I usually stick to pencil and paper. I'm boring."

It took less than a minute for Elsa to reply. "You're def not boring. Re: my art, I'd rather show than tell. Wanna meet up once you're done being punished?"

"My whole summer is punishment," Anna texted.

She received a sad face in reply from Elsa.

She bit her lip, thinking. She could sneak out. But what if she got caught?

_Dad would definitely tell Mom. And Mom would… what? Fly down here? No. Fly me back to Minneapolis? Maybe… but doubtful. I'd be grounded for the rest of the summer. _

_But so what? I could always sneak out again…_

"I'll sneak out," she texted Elsa.

"Idk… I don't want you to get in more trouble," Elsa replied.

"It'll be fine," Anna texted. "I'll be extra careful. My dad'll never notice. Tomorrow night?" She held her breath, waiting for Elsa's reply, but several minutes passed before she received a text.

"Okay. Eleven o'clock. Can't wait. "


End file.
